(713) 222-0767
22 N Chenevert St
Houston,
TX
77002
29.7596
-95.3524
Neighborhoods: Downtown, Central
What People Are Saying About Irma's Restaurant
The Editor
Contributor
Citysearch
In Short – This tiny spot is a delightful jumble of home furnishings and bric-a-brac blanketed by the intoxicating smell of Mexican home cooking. Serving only weekday breakfast and lunch, Irma's has become a downtown fixture among the politico crowd, and is known for having no menu. Memorable lunches include fajitas, center-cut pork chops with ancho chili sauce, spinach enchiladas and, of course, the fresh-squeezed lemonade.
08/21/09
not the way to run a business
by cmk1126
I think Irma's is deceptive. It looks like your average Mexican place, and it serves perfectly acceptable Mexican food. The lemonade is pretty good as well. But there's no menu. This is an issue because prices aren't disclosed, and the bill is shocking. I've paid $19 for a three-course five star lunch at other places. At Irma's, it cost about $21.50 for a drink + one course of chicken fajitas without cheese, sour cream, or guacamole. I would have guessed it was a $9.50 meal.
- Pros: food is pretty good
- Cons: sneaky business practices; way too expensive
07/22/09
Great Food ruined by Horrible Host
by eatsleepandship
We go to Irma's twice a month. We went before a ballgame and the host did not recognize me with a baseball hat on. We were next in line for a table and a regular (they were on a first-name basis) walked in 10 minutes after us. The same host said he would take care of him. After 5 minutes, the "regular" said to us, "It sure does pay to know someone in here." Next thing I know, the host seats them before us. He then had the audacity to say the other group had reservations, which was clearly a lie. I don't mind a host being cordial to regulars, but to skip over our group to take care of him will not be tolerated by our corporation. We at 701 Louisiana, will NEVER go back to Irma's because of his error in judgment.
- Pros: Food
- Cons: Host gave a regular OUR table
05/09/09
Stay Away
by KennyP
Two buddies and I went to Irma's on a Fri before an Astros game. We were surprised that there was no menu, but we figured it was a mom and pop type of place, so no prob. Nothing about the location, decor, or anything else would lead you to believe it was overpriced. I had the pork enchiladas, as did one of my friends and the other had the chicken mole. We all agreed the food was good, but definitely nothing special. Between the 3 of us, we had 3 magaritas and 4 beers. So when we get the bill, there's no itemization what-so-ever. The only thing written on the white piece of paper was "$90". We looked at eachother and thought surely that meant something else. We thought a high end estimate of each entree cost should be $10. So we get up to the counter and the woman indeed says, "$90". We asked her how that could be, and she pointed to a sign hanging over the register that said, "Prices subject to change based on attitude." We'd noticed the sign and just thought it was one of those joke signs that you often see in casual restaurants. I couldn't help but let her know that we felt ripped off. It's not just the money, it's the fact that it all seems to tie together to their benefit, not having a menu AND it just so happens the food is over priced. We asked her to split it up 3 ways and we started telling her what we each had. Mine was $30, one friend's was $23, and the other friend's was $27. Now, add up those numbers and tell me what you get. I got $80. So what happened to $90? We asked why they originally said $90. Regardless of whether it was intentional or not, you'd think the response would be, "We're sorry, we must have added it up wrong." But instead they chose to basically ignore the question. So I told the woman behind the counter that they should really let their guests know what they're prices are. She said they'd been doing it that way for 20 years. I told her that she was looking at 3 people would never come back. She didn't seem to care and we got out of there. So, unless you like paying about $16 for a plate of food that really is worth about $8 and is about as good as a Los Tios, then STAY AWAY.
- Pros: Food was fairly tasty
- Cons: Obvious scam
The Details on Irma's Restaurant
Know Before You Go:
Though Irma's is closed on the weekends and only serves breakfast and lunch, the restaurant stays open until 6pm on Astros game days.
Look Good:
Don't be surprised if Irma asks why you didn't finish your plate. She's watching out for you.
Smoking Permitted:
Yes
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